Life Time Launches Application-Based Social Club

LT Social, a members-only community of parties and wellness events in major U.S. cities, is Life Time’s latest move to push further upscale to stand out from competitors

Life Time is getting into the nightlife business.

The athletic country club operator is launching LT Social next month, a members-only community that offers social, wellness and entertainment experiences each month in major U.S. cities, timed to local tentpole events.

The move answers a long-held request from members to connect beyond their workouts, Life Time founder and CEO Bahram Akradi said, adding that LT Social will create events “worth getting on a plane for.”

There’s no additional cost to join LT Social, the company said.

The launch kicks off at an invitation-only event Sept. 12-13 at Life Time Sky in New York City during the U.S. Open tennis finals and New York Fashion Week.

Saturday brings a rooftop party on the Sky Deck with DJs, crafted cocktails, food and more, while Sunday opens with movement, recovery and spa treatments in the morning, then shifts to an afternoon poolside with DJs, music, food and drinks. 

Applications open in mid-September, though a waitlist is available now for both Life Time members and nonmembers.

Beyond New York, future LT Social events will be hosted at select clubs across the country, from New York and Miami to Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Southern California.

The addition of a social club appears to play into a broader strategy to keep pushing upmarket: Life Time is currently building larger clubs designed to hold fewer, higher-paying members while shedding lower-dues memberships administered by third-party insurers.

The desire for the wellness-focused crowd to mingle has led to several brands making their own moves in recent years, such as members-only club Moss in NYC, social bathhouse Othership, Fit Athletic Club in San Diego and Club Athletic. Though each offers something different, the shared theme is connection in a healthy space.